Welcome to Healthy Living

Thank you for taking an interest in healthy living. Most people take health for granted, and are reluctant to modify their lifestyle until they are rudely awakened by a serious illness. I truly appreciate your interest in healthy living, and your willingness to explore what this website has to offer.

You'll notice that the website is thematically organized around the "Five Elements" of Eastern healing traditions that date back at least two millennia and are still employed, basically unchanged, in China and India. In contrast, allopathic medicine, practiced by the Greek physician Hippocrates and his colleagues, has undergone remarkable transformation and achieved spectacular successes, because it is based on science rather than tradition.

This website encourages the pursuit of health through scientifically validated modifications of one's lifestyle. Medical science is continually tested, and its practices are still evolving with the acquisition of new data. Instead of stagnant healing traditions and so-called "alternative medicine," you will be better served by ethical medical professionals who subscribe to conventional, science-based preventive medicine.

Website Sections

Healthy Living Prescriptions

Prescription Symbol Our mental and physical health, and our overall wellbeing, are our greatest personal assets. The health of our country's population is our most precious natural resource. Yet, most people tend to take their health for granted until they are facing a serious illness. Making poor choices about the way one lives is akin to committing suicide on an installment plan. Fortunately, there are much better options available.

With proper care and feeding, most human beings can lead active, fulfilling lives until shortly before their death. Under ideal circumstances, our health-span will be almost as long as our lifespan. With good information and sufficient motivation, most people can significantly reduce their risks for illness and injury, and improve their chances for a longer and healthier life.

What counts most in terms of health outcomes is to be born healthy, not die prematurely, and have a high quality of life between birth and death. Unfortunately, there is no "magic bullet" or simple remedy for achieving those outcomes. Healthy living does not depend upon a single prescription. Multiple risk factors are involved, and consequently, multiple interventions are required to mitigate those risks. If what needs to be done for healthy living is posed as a question on a multiple choice test, the answer would be, "all of the above."

It is my hope that the information presented here will be helpful for anyone who cares about their own health and that of their loved ones, and that it will inspire a commitment to healthy living. It is up to you to take charge of your own health and assume the responsibility for enhancing it, while your healthcare providers are working on your behalf to help you achieve your healthy living goals.

In addition to this website, I also maintain a Better Health Blog. I invite you to check it out, and wish you much success in your journey toward better health. If you find this website and the blog to be of value, please share their links with others.
~ Dr. Mick

The Politics and Economics of American Healthcare

America's economic and political forces have fostered the growth of huge corporations that profit from illness (ie. the pharmaceutical, hospital, and healthcare industries), or exploit people's fears of illness, disability, and death (ie. the insurance industry). Large medical practice groups now employ about two-thirds of all primary care doctors in America, and many of them are owned by profit-oriented insurance companies and private equity investors.

As a result, doctors are no longer in charge of how medicine is practiced; they are beholden to the accountants. Underpaid and overworked primary care physicians are becoming an increasingly rare breed. Based on current trends, the American Medical Association predicts that by 2034 there will be a shortfall of up to 48,000 family practice and pediatric physicians.

Although amazing technologies for treating serious diseases are available to those who can afford them, our healthcare system as a whole has not made preventive medicine and easy, affordable access to necessary services its priority. Consequently, the U.S. ranks poorly when our healthcare system is compared to those of other developed nations. While being the most expensive by far, American healthcare is ranked lower than 30 to 35 other countries. That should be considered a national disgrace, yet career politicians, government bureaucrats, and federal agencies all appear unwilling or unable to protect ordinary citizens from the excesses of corporate greed.

In 2021, about 900,000 more people in the U.S. died than would be expected, when compared to the death rates of Western European countries that were similarly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Excess mortality in the U.S. has always been higher than that of other developed nations, and right now it's worse than ever, as the excess mortality rate has doubled from 2017 to 2021. For a plain-language analysis of this problem, watch this Excess Mortality Video.

Western European nations recognize that access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is every citizens' right. With excellent government-subsidized health and education systems, citizens are provided with healthcare services and college educations that won't bankrupt them. Although America ranks seventh among the world's richest nations (based on GDP per capita), it doesn't have a lot of healthy people to show for it. The U.S. leads the rest of the world in the prevalence of obesity. Nearly a third of its adults have multiple chronic illnesses. American children are less likely to live to five years of age than children in other high-income countries. The maternal death rate is as much as three times higher.

According to a recent article in the American Journal of Public Health, 56 countries on six continents surpassed the U.S. in terms of their citizens' life expectancy. Our life expectancy disadvantage began in the 1950s, and has steadily worsened over the past four decades. Maternal mortality has doubled over the last 20 years. This alarming situation likely exists because our nation's politico-economic system puts corporate profits ahead of the basic needs of its people. Your health also depends upon where you live, because different states vary widely in their health services and public health policies.

Trickle-down economics Most Americans have an unfounded faith in the theory of trickle-down economics, the irrational belief that wealthy people, unrestrained in their ongoing pursuit of ever more wealth, will somehow bestow benefits upon the rest of us. There is simply no evidence that the tax breaks and financial benefits received by corporations and the wealthy have actually trickled down to everyone else. Shareholders with profitable investments are unlikely to care about the collateral damage to other people and the environment. Unfortunately, there is only one thing that trickles down, as you can see from this illustration.

It is not only patients who suffer from a for-profit healthcare system. Doctors, nurses, ancillary healthcare professionals, and all other non-management corporate employees are overworked and forced to sacrifice the quality of their care for the sake of profitability. Physicians, already stressed by the enormous responsibilities they have, must maintain a minimum level of "productivity" by limiting the time spent with each patient. This results in a less-than-satisfying experience for both doctors and their patients.

The goals and policies of American capitalism are dictated by its major corporate stockholders. They are then approved and enabled by the career politicians whose election campaigns are financed by the large corporations. Spending on federal lobbying by the healthcare sector increased by 70 percent from 2000 to 2020, largely driven by drug and device manufacturers and the health insurance industry. When lifesaving drugs become unaffordable, and Americans travel to other countries to get their medical and dental care, or have to forego it entirely, you know there is something very wrong with our current system.

In order to protect themselves from the downsides of a capitalistic healthcare system that puts profits ahead of people, individuals will need to use whatever resources they can muster. For example, they can join together to form local patient/physician cooperatives that make basic healthcare services more accessible and affordable for their members. This has already been done successfully in several states. Shared decision-making and informed medical decision aids help to create empowered patients.

Patients are entitled to refuse free promotional samples and prescriptions for new drugs that have been rushed to market and/or are being heavily advertised in magazines and TV commercials. When a drug's benefits far outweigh its risks, you can be sure that it doesn't need to be pitched directly to its intended consumers. People should be insisting upon medicines that have a long history of safety and efficacy, and that usually means they are available as lower-cost generics. Judging by how many dangerous medications have already been identified and withdrawn from the market, both doctors and patients need to protect themselves from exploitation by a rapacious pharmaceutical industry.

It is clear that becoming a well-informed consumer is crucial for optimizing one's health. This is especially true when it comes to the foods that we eat and feed to our families. Most of the items found on the shelves of supermarkets are actually bad for people's health, and exist only to enrich the corporations that are selling them. Our tastes and expectations are being manipulated by unhealthy food additives, excessive amounts of salt, sugar, and saturated fats, and by an incessant barrage of clever advertising. That's why I wrote a book that will help people improve their health by making better food choices, despite the marketing forces that are working against them.

Rx for Healthy Eating

"People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food." ~ Wendell Berry, Farmer and Healthy Foods Activist

Dr. Mick's Rx for Healthy Eating, available from Amazon as a Paperback and Kindle eBook, has been receiving five-star reviews. No matter how much you already know about health, nutrition, and cooking, you will find lots of new information about reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and dementia. This book provides the foundation for a healthier lifestyle, and contains valuable information that could literally save your life!

Rx for Healthy Eating is so much more than a guide for making sensible food choices and implementing meal strategies for better health. While good food can be a powerful prescription, what sets this book apart is that it does not promote any specific diet or weight loss program. Instead, you will learn how making some simple changes to the basic ingredients found in your kitchen will make it easier to lose weight without dieting.

Basically three books in one, Rx for Healthy Eating begins by explaining the fundamental principles of good nutrition and the medical consequences of poor dietary choices. It will motivate readers to transform their eating habits in much healthier ways.

The next part of the book deals with the art of cooking healthy meals. There is detailed advice about selecting small appliances, cookware, and kitchen accessories that will simplify meal preparation and make kitchen time go faster. There are also a lot of tips, tricks, and shortcuts that both novices and seasoned chefs will appreciate.

The last part of the book contains a hundred carefully selected, health-oriented recipes from around the world, in a genre that could be described as Mediterranean-Asian-Pacific fusion. The recipes will help people who are just learning to cook develop an intuitive approach. Those who are bored with the same old meals will discover that the recipes encourage experimentation and inspire creativity, making their cooking much more enjoyable.

If you care about your own health and that of your family, and want to prevent the chronic illnesses associated with an unhealthy diet, Rx for Healthy Eating is the right guide for you. If you want to enjoy delicious and nutritious meals while keeping your weight under control, this book is just what the doctor ordered. You will find it an invaluable kitchen companion and an essential investment in your health.

There are also two companion eBooks: The health and nutrition section is enhanced and expanded in Good Food Is Good Medicine. The recipe section is enhanced and expanded in Healthy Recipes World Tour.

Finding Information You Can Trust

Unfortunately, much of the health-related information found in popular diet books, magazines, and on the internet, is actually misinformation. Think of all the different weight-loss diets, each claiming to be the best. There are lots of so-called "studies", especially those that have not been subjected to peer-review, that will fail to be independently validated. Medicine is plagued by bad scientific research performed and published by incompetent scientists, as well bogus studies where the results have been falsified. Unfortunately, it takes time to expose junk science and have its publication retracted.

To guard against being misled, beware of motivated reasoning, where wanting something to be true impairs one's ability to think about it critically. That can become a vulnerability easily exploited by salespersons, advertisers, and presenters on social media. Facebook and YouTube employ algorithms that pander to and reinforce one's pre-existing beliefs and subconscious desires, producing "rabbit hole" and "echo chamber" effects that will keep you clicking on an unending stream of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

There will always be a lot of attention grabbing headlines that follow the publication of "research" that will eventually fail to pass scientific muster. In other words, there is a lot of junk science being published in junk journals that make for great clickbait, and it is difficult for non-scientists to separate the wheat from the chaff. To help counteract our tendency for motivated reasoning, follow Carl Sagan's caution that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Always look for reputable independent validation of any medical claims.

Many individuals and businesses have conflicts of interests or other agendas, and deliberately disseminate misleading information in order to promote their products or idealogy. So, please be skeptical of everything you read and hear, including the information in this website. Consider this as always being a work in progress. The information you'll find here will need to be repeatedly revised as new information becomes available.

Healthy skepticism is considered the default mode of scientific and critical thinking. You can put that skill to good use in your daily life as part of your baloney detection toolkit. From politicians to used car salespersons, and all of the ads your hear on the radio or see on TV, you'll soon realize that there is an awful lot of baloney that's going around.

When it comes to developing scientific literacy, I highly recommend Yale University's free online course, "Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong" presented by F. Perry Wilson, M.D. The course will provide you with the tools and skills you'll need to critically interpret medical studies, and distinguish between good and bad scientific research. I learned a lot from it, and encourage you to check it out.

Disclaimer

The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, prescribe for, or treat any illness or health condition. My use of the word "Prescriptions" is strictly metaphorical. Your specific health concerns should be shared with your own physician. While my preventive medicine suggestions may be relevant for most healthy adults, they may not be suitable for your specific situation. Some suggestions might not be appropriate for children, women who are pregnant or nursing, or for anyone who is ill. The particular needs of individuals are unique, and I definitely cannot offer one-size health suggestions that fit all people.

Consider any recommendations as general guidelines, and remember that your mileage may vary. Please consult a competent healthcare professional for assistance with your nutrition, exercise and stress reduction programs, before making any drastic changes to your lifestyle. Also, bear in mind that this web site is a continual work in progress. With so much research taking place, and new information being published on an almost daily basis, it is impossible for this website to be kept up to date. So, please take its information (figuratively) with a grain of salt.

Copyright Notice

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Next: Introduction to Health and Wellness